Review - Time Trap by Micah Caida

Summary from Goodreads:Micah Caida's stunning debut young adult book TIME TRAP is like nothing before it, according to early readers.

Time Trap, book one in the Red Moon seriesHer memory is blank.Her future's in question.Her power is dangerous.Waking up in an unknown world, Rayen learns only that she's seventeen and is hunted by a sentient beast. Terrified that she may never learn who she really is or find her way back to her home, she's captured in a land that is at times familiar even if the people and the structures seem alien. When local law enforcement delivers her to a private school, she's labeled as a Native American runaway, and Rayen discovers a secret with deadly repercussions. Forced into an unlikely alliance with a computer savvy street punk and a gifted oddball girl to save their world - and the future - Rayen finds the key to an identity that no person would want.

Time Trap is an incredibly intriguing and unique YA fantasy novel. The story begins with Rayen running from a mysterious creature. She doesn't know who she is or where she has come from - only that she must run. When she is picked up by the police, she ends up at a mysterious school for "gifted" kids, but things there go quickly awry. She and two of her classmates, Tony and Gabby, are transported to a strange land, full of dangerous creatures and possibly even more dangerous people. The have to convince the natives that they are not the enemy - or die.

The (somewhat) negatives:

Complex worldbuilding. Overall, I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this story, but it was definitely complex. I assumed from the title that Rayen, Tony and Gabby had traveled through time, but there's A LOT more to it than that. I don't want to give too much away because it's all part of the mystery of the book, but you learn that the future is very different. Because of this, there was a lot of explaining that needed to be done. Caida did a great job of giving the information to us in small pieces, so that it wasn't too overwhelming, but this also made it a bit confusing at times. Even now, I could tell you the basics of the society of the future, but there are details about the class structure, the government and the society that I know I didn't keep track of as well as I should have.

What I loved:

The mysteries. This book was full of mystery. From the very beginning of the book, you aren't sure who Rayen is or where she comes from. Who is the voice that speaks to her? When Rayen, Tony and Gabby are suddenly transported (through a computer!) to a place that seems like another world, the mysteries just keep piling up? Where are they? Who are the strange children that treat them with such hostility and why do they seem to think that Rayen, Tony and Gabby are the enemy? As the book goes on, some (though not all) of these questions are answered, but there are always more mysteries underneath. It definitely kept the story interesting!

The unique concept. I have never read a book that was anything like this one before. It felt completely unique to me, which I loved! I know I said that the worldbuilding was a bit complex, but it needed to be because the story had so many unique facets.

Rayen. I loved Rayen as a main character. She was incredibly strong - a natural warrior. Even though she didn't know who she was or really understand anything that was going on around her, she didn't panic or fall into despair. She was obviously intelligent and kept her head, no matter what situation she was thrown into.

The romance. Though this story wasn't, at its heart, a romance, there was a great romantic element to it. I LOVED Callan - he had every reason to fear Rayen and her friends when they show up in his world and it takes him quite a while to get past his fear and mistrust. But, as we get to know him, we see that he is fiercely loyal, brave and completely swoonworthy!

I definitely recommend Time Trap to fans of YA fantasy. This unique story was full of mystery and action! I've already bought the second book in the trilogy and can't wait to get started on reading it! I give it 4.5/5 stars.